Wa'ew Em Gereh: GerehNeb Netjer, Key Ni Bin
by Dark Jedi Princess
Summary: {AU} Harry's summer wasn't the best. Then again, it never is. When he returns to Hogwarts for his Fifth Year, a Dark Creature comes to take everything away from him...
1. The Summer From Hell

**Disclaimer:** Okay, I don't own Harry Potter, that belongs to JK Rowling. I own Gerehkhered and Janna(You'll meet them in later chapters), as well as this plot line, though not the idea, I'm sure. Also, the vampires in here are MINE. No stealing. A full debriefing on them can be found here: . ^_^

**Author's Note:** Okay, I'm pretty sure I'm not the first person to use this idea. Hopefully no-one will brutally maim me for writing it. Anyway, this is my first of this kind of fic. I hope you all enjoy it. ^_^  
**~*::Dark Jedi Princess/Millennium Angel::*~**

  
**~Quote Types~**

"Normal"  
"RAISED VOICE VOLUME"  
"_Foreign Language/Spell_"  
_Thoughts_  
~_Vampiric Thought Speak_~  
Stressed Words  
**Written Text**

**Title~** "Gereh-Neb Netjer, Key Ni Bin"  
**Rating~** PG-13  
**Reasons~** Violence, Swearing(in both Khemetic and English)  
**Genre~** Supernatural, Fantasy, Angst, Drama, Romance  
**Summary~** Harry's summer wasn't the best. Then again, it never is. When he returns to Hogwarts for his Fifth Year, a Dark Creature comes to take everything away from him...  
**Pairings~** Harry + Cho, Ron + Hermione, one-sided Harry + Gerehkhered(OC)

**_Gereh-Neb Netjer, Key Ni Bin  
Chapter 1~ The Summer From Hell_**

  
Summer once again.

Harry knew that he should be trying to enjoy himself, but he couldn't. Not after what had happened last year. He knew that Voldemort, who had returned the night of the Third Task the previous year, could not touch him when he was under his relative's care or at Hogwarts, but he was still worried. Worried for his friends Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger... and Cho Chang. What if Voldemort killed them?

Harry tried to shake these thoughts from his head. He couldn't worry about that now. Not when...

"GET DOWN HERE, BOY!" Uncle Vernon shouted. Harry sighed, and trudged down the stairs. He stopped midway down the stairs and poked his head over the banister.

"What?" Harry said, glowering.

"Go cook breakfast."

Harry remained silent for a moment. "You do it," He said, before tromping back upstairs to his room. As he shut the door and locked it, not wanting to be disturbed, he heard Uncle Vernon yelling at him to come back down.

This sort of thing had been going on all summer. Evidentally, the Dursleys were still reeling over the Ton Tongue Toffee. They had been trying to force Harry to do all the chores the whole time he had been there. Harry, of course, flat out refused to do any work for them, which usually resulted in Uncle Vernon rattling and banging at the door.

Harry made his way over to his bed. No less than four owls were perched there, each carrying a package. Harry remembered that it was his birthday, and knowing that his friends had remembered cheered him up a bit.

An eagle owl bore his present from Hagrid, as well as his Hogwarts letter. Hagrid had sent him a bunch of Rock Cakes, which Harry didn't touch.

Hedwig, Harry's snowy owl, had brought Hermione and Sirius's presents. Hermione had sent him a book on Aurors, and Sirius had sent him a handy arm-holster for his wand. He'd also sent a letter, saying that he was perfectly safe, and would be seeing him sometime during the school year. Lupin had added a note, too, as well as some chocolate.

  
**Harry-**

I think you'll be pleased to know that I'll be coming back to teach at Hogwarts this year. Special request from Dumbledore. I'm hoping we won't have another incident like your Third Year, because I would like to stay on, at least until you've graduated.

Padfoot said you're still a little upset about what happened last year. Don't worry about it. I'm sure it wasn't your fault. You couldn't help what happened. Try to enjoy yourself this year. Dumbledore will make sure nothing happens to you this year.

I look forward to seeing you again.

-Moony

  
Harry took some reassurance from this, but not much. He put the presents aside, and picked up Ron's gift. Pigwidgeon, excited that he had delivered the parcel safely, was zooming around Harry's head. Harry sighed, then unwrapped the present, glowering at Pig as he did so.

Mrs. Weasley had sent him a basket full of homemade sweets. As a joke, Ron had sent him some blood pops he'd managed to acquire over the summer. The twins, Fred and George (or Gred and Forge, as they preferred to be called), had sent him their latest prank item-- Bulging-Eye Bon-Bons. Harry smirked, thinking he should use them on Dudley sometime. Harry moved these items aside.

The last owl was a screech owl that Harry didn't recognize. It was carrying a small package with a note attached to it. Harry took it, curiously, wondering who it could be from. The note was written in a smooth, flowing handwriting. Harry read it, wondering who it could be from.

  
**Dear Harry,**

Happy birthday. It's Cho, in case you couldn't tell.

Look, I wanted you to know that I don't blame you for Cedric's death. You had no idea what would happen if you took the Cup together. I'm not angry at you at all.

Anyway, I hope you like your present; I saw it when I was shopping with Mum, and I thought you might like it. I thought it was pretty, anyway.

I look forward to seeing you at Hogwarts. Maybe... if you haven't gone to Diagon Alley yet, I'll go with you. I still haven't gone, and I would like some company. I'll understand if you don't want to.

~Cho Chang

  
Harry smiled faintly at this. He would've loved to see Cho again before school started. Cho was the Ravenclaw Seeker. She was a year older than he was, she was very pretty, and she was nice. Harry didn't know her too well, but he hoped that would change this year. He put her letter aside and opened her present. A necklace tumbled out of the box. A crimson orb, which looked as though it had gas swirling around in it, surrounded by gold spirals, hung from a long gold chain. It glowed when Harry picked it up. "Wow..." He slipped it around his neck. He smiled, faintly, and moved over to his desk to write back to Cho.

  
**Dear Cho,**

I'm glad you don't blame me, but I still feel guilty about what happened. I keep thinking I could've done something, even though I know there was nothing I could do. It made my summer considerably worse, on top of Voldemort coming back, and everything.

Thank you for the present, although you didn't have to get me anything. I'm not usually one for jewelry but I really think it's beautiful. I take it there's some sort of enchantment on it. It glowed when I touched it.

I'd love to come to Diagon Alley with you. How about meeting me on Thursday in front of the Leaky Cauldron? Does 11:30 sound fine with you?

I heard Remus Lupin is coming back to teach DADA this year. I still think he's been our best DADA teacher thus far.

Write me back as soon as possible. Again, thanks for the necklace.

-Harry

  
Harry gave the letter to Cho's owl, who took off through his open window. He sighed, longingly, looking forward to seeing Cho again.  


‹{~~‹›~^*^~‹›~~}›

  
Cho wrote back the next day, saying that the aforementioned time worked perfectly, and that she would be there. Harry's heart almost skipped a beat when he read the letter.

The next few days passed slowly. On Thursday, he asked Uncle Vernon to drive him to Charing Cross station, using Sirius as a substantial threat. Vernon agreed, and took Harry to said Tube station.

Cho was standing in front of the Leaky Cauldron, dressed in low-rise jeans and a tank top. Her chocolate-brown eyes were covered by a pair of sunglasses (as it was abnormally sunny that day), and her shoulder-length black hair was tied back in a ponytail, with a few strands hanging loose. Harry went red when he saw her, but smiled as he approached her.

"Hey, Cho," He said, now very red in the face.

"Hi Harry," Cho responded, smiling. She removed her sunglasses. "How've you been?"

"At my wit's end," Harry responded. "But, I'm a little happier now, I guess. You?"

"Fine, I guess," Cho said. "I'm still a little bit upset about Cedric..."

"Understandable..." Harry sighed. "Well, ah... shall we?"

"Okay."

They walked through the Leaky Cauldron together. Harry waved to Tom, the owner, as they passed him. The two arrived at the entrance. Harry tapped the third brick to the left of the dust bin, and they stepped through the archway.

"So, where to first?" Harry asked, pulling out his list.

"Books?" Cho suggested.

"Okay."

The two enjoyed themselves immensly. Once they had purchased their school supplies, they looked at Quidditch gear, though they didn't buy anything. Then, they went to Florien Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour for ice cream. Cho waved to a few of her Ravenclaw friends, introducing them to Harry, when she saw them. Harry ran into Seamus(who didn't seem to want to talk to him, for some odd reason), Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom, all of whom were his dormmates. Also, he saw Parvati Patil, but didn't talk to her.

"This has been great," Harry said, as they walked back towards the Leaky Cauldron to go home. Cho smiled at him.

"I'm glad you had fun," She said. Harry blushed again.

Harry returned home that night feeling much happier than he had been all summer.

He failed to notice a pair of amethyst eyes watching him through his bedroom window.

  
**Next Chapter~** Everybody goes back to Hogwarts, Harry starts to get stressed out, and more…

**Author's Note:** It's going a little slow right now, but, hey, it'll get better, I swear!

  
**_And Now I Must Acknowledge The Following Authors:_**

**PonoKyunin~** For inspiring this fic with his own vampire story, "Kiss From A Rose", and for showing such excitement towards reading it, despite the lack of his favorite Romance Pairings.

**Ael L. Bolt~** Special thanks for being my Beta-Reader, and one of my best friends, too.

This story is dedicated to these two authors, two of my friends here on FF.N, and both with excellent writing.


	2. Return To Hogwarts

  
  
**Disclaimer**: See previous chapter.

**Author's Note**: Ugh, I hate it when I have something written out on paper but can't type it up... *Sigh* Anyway, I have chapter 2 of "Gereh-Neb" up now! WOOT! Again, BIIIG thankies to my wonderful Beta, Ael L. Bolt! Anyway, I had to borrow the Sorting song from Order Of The Pheonix. This is turning out to be a little like the Canon (Not entirely, though... you'll notice the differences when you come across them. ^_^). On with the story~!  
**~*^::Dark Jedi Princess::^*~**

"_Kiesaru kono sekai de anata to aishitsuzukeru_ (In this world that melts away, I'll continue to love you)  
_Tamerai mo mayoi mo iranai_ (Faltering and lost and unneeded)  
_Tsuite oide..._ (Come here with me...)

_Kiesaru kono sekai de anata to kataritsuzukeru_ (In this world that melts away, I'll continue to talk to you)  
_Subete ga ima omoi no mama ni..._ (Everything is now like a memory...)"  
~"Illness Illusion", Gackt

**_Wa'ew Em Gereh: Gereh-Neb Netjer, Key Ni Bin  
Chapter 2: Return To Hogwarts; A Confession_**

  
"You've returned to me," A feminine, Egyptian-accented voice said, softly.

"Yes, Sire..." A second voice, a teenaged British girl's, responded, timidly.

"Did you do it?"

"I..."

"Did you?"

"I... did..."

"Good. You're well on your way... Now tell me, Childe... there's a boy in your Year at school... he has black hair, green eyes... glasses... a scar on his forehead... Who is he?"

"He's... no-one to be concerned about..."

"Liar. I've seen him in the newspaper. Now, who is he...?"

"Ha... Harry Potter, Sire..."

"I thought so... When does term start?"

"September 1st..."

"Well, be a good girl and behave... Otherwise..."

The British girl gulped and left without a word, wishing she hadn't said anything, or even returned.  


‹{~~‹›~^*^~‹›~~}›

  
September 1st came faster than Harry had expected it to. He was thankful that he had managed to get his school shopping done in time. He was, however, concerned that, aside from his birthday presents, Ron and Hermione hadn't sent him anything or been able to tell him anything about what they were doing. They just kept saying that they were really busy, but that they would see him on the train. He had been angry with them, it was true, but, at least he was able to come back to Hogwarts now.

"Harry!" A familiar voice called as he stepped through the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10 at King's Cross St. Pancras station. It was Hermione. She was waving excitedly, Ron standing beside her, grinning.

"Hey, guys," Harry said, wheeling his luggage trolley over to them. "Sorry Dumbledore wouldn't let me come over..."

"That's okay, mate," Ron said, still grinning.

"Harry... have you heard? Ron and I are Prefects!" Hermione exclaimed, happily.

Harry was completely taken aback by this news. "You're... PREFECTS?!"

"Yeah!" Ron said. "Although... Fred and George won't leave me alone, now... They think it's funny."

Harry had to agree with Fred and George on this part. He couldn't think why Dumbledore had chosen Ron, of all people, as a Prefect. And he had to admit, he was a bit jealous.

And there was yet another problem. Dumbledore hadn't tried to contact Harry at all. He hadn't spoken to him all summer. Why was Dumbledore being so silent? What was going on with Voldemort?

"Well, shall we get on the train, then?" Harry said.

"Uhmmm... we have to go to the front of the train, Harry," Hermione said. "You know... the Prefects get a car to themselves..."

Harry sighed. "Fine." He heaved his trunk on to the train and found a compartment, feeling miserable now. "Uhmm... hi Harry..."

Harry looked up. It was Cho. She was standing behind him, grinning in a sheepish manner.

"Cho!" He accidentally dropped Hedwig's cage. She hooted angrily.

"Uhm... Mind if I join you? Or are you going to sit with Hermione and Ron?"

"Nah, they're Prefects. They can't. Well... uhm... I guess you could..."

Cho smiled at him, and they stepped into the compartment. As they settled in for the long train ride, Ginny Weasley poked her head in and asked "Can I sit with you?"

"We don't mind," Cho answered, after a quick glance at Harry.

Around lunchtime, they were joined by Ron and Hermione, but right on the heels of the new prefects were Draco Malfoy and his rather brutish henchmen, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, who introduced themselves in the usual way.

"Tell me, Potter," Malfoy's voice drawled from the glass door. "How does it feel to be second best to Weasley?"

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry growled. He reached for his wand, but Malfoy grinned and waggled his finger at Harry.

"I wouldn't try it if I were you," He said, smiling. "You see, I, unlike you, am a Prefect. So that means that _I_, unlike you, get to hand out punishments."

"Yeah," Harry said, dryly. "But you, unlike me, are a git."

Everyone but Malfoy & company laughed.

"You'd better watch yourself now, Potter," Malfoy said, dangerously. "Times are changing, and I'm going to be watching your every move... Be good now, Potty..." He left, followed by Crabbe and Goyle.

"Oh, I can't wait to get Crabbe and Goyle for something," Ron muttered.

"You can't abuse your power!" Hermione scolded.

"Like Malfoy isn't?" Harry said, darkly. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Besides, better I get his mates before he gets mine," Ron said, stretching and leaning back in his seat. "Heh, I'll make Goyle do lines or something..." He screwed up his face and imitated Goyle. "'I... must... not look like... a... baboon's... backside...'"

Everyone in the compartment burst out laughing. After everything had quieted down, Ron showed Harry his new broomstick, a Cleansweep 11.

"Where'd you get that?" Harry said, raising an eyebrow.

"Mum," Ron said, simply. "It was a present for becoming a Prefect."

"Oh, I see..." Harry said, sighing. "Guys... I've really missed out on a lot over the summer... what's going on with Voldemort?"

Everyone else flinched, but Hermione was first to speak. "Well... nothing, actually."

Harry perked his head up. "What?"

"There hasn't been any activity with You-Know-Who," Hermione said, shrugging. "He's keeping himself hidden. We think You-Know-Who's just massing his legions. He's recruiting more Death Eaters. Sirius and Lupin think that he's trying to get some sort of weapon..." She left that sentence hanging, then plowed on. "Think about it, Harry. He worked so hard to conceal his return, but when you escaped, you told Dumbledore, which is the last person he wanted told about his return. And Dumbledore, in return, told the Wizarding community about it. They didn't exactly believe him, but, nonetheless..."

"Fudge being a git again?" Harry said, lightly.

"Yeah, and not only about Dumbledore," Ginny said. "They've been sneaking stuff into the articles about you. They're just building on Rita's stuff, it's nothing serious, but they're still having a go at you and Dumbledore..."

Harry sighed. "I'm really starting to hate the general public now..."  


‹{~~‹›~^*^~‹›~~}›

  
When the train arrived at Hogwarts, the weather was very foggy. Harry stepped off the train with Hermione, Ron, Cho, and Ginny, squinting through the fog, and listening for Hagrid's familiar voice called "Firs' Years! Firs' Years, over 'ere!"

Instead of Hagrid's, however, he was greeted by a different voice calling those same words. It was Professor Grubbly-Plank. Harry's face fell. He had been looking forward to seeing Hagrid again. It was one of the things he so missed about Hogwarts. Where could he be? He wondered to himself. He sighed, and moved over towards the horseless carriages, then stopped, abruptly.

The horseless carriages weren't horseless any more. Harry stared at the creatures between the shafts. They did not seem to have any skin. Their sleek, black coats clung to their skeletons, of which every bone could be seen. Their heads were dragon-like, their eyes, white and pupil-less. Leathery black wings, like a bat's, sprouted from each whither. Harry supposed that they could be considered horses, but they just looked so... sinister. Harry shook his head rapidly and turned to get into a carriage. He saw Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson pushing their way through a crowd of timid-looking Second Years. Harry scowled in their direction, then stepped apprehensively into the carriage.

"Harry, is something wrong?" Hermione asked as she got in, too.

"Nah..." Harry said, thinking that he shouldn't tell Hermione he could see those horses.

"Oh... alright then..."

Cho and Ginny got in with Ron following them. Harry raised an eyebrow as he realized that someone had been in the carriage before he'd gotten inside. From what he could see, she was a light-haired woman with glimmering violet eyes, but she kept her face hidden in the shadows. Harry looked at the girl oddly, then turned back to his friends as the carriage lurched and began to move.

When the carriage arrived at the front doors, they all got out and went inside. Cho waved to them and headed for the Ravenclaw table. The girl who had sat with them, who apparently was blond, simply walked over to the Slytherin table, taking a sip from a silver flask as she went. Ginny went over to sit with her friends, and Ron and Hermione sat down with Harry towards the end of the table, next to Neville and Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, who, evidentally, had just stopped talking about him. Harry sighed, and turned his attention to the staff table. Hagrid wasn't at the staff table, either.

Professor Grubbly-Plank came into the hall a few minutes later and took the seat Hagrid would normally have sat in. Seconds later, Professor McGonagall led the First Years into the hall. One boy in the middle of the line looked as though he was shaking in pure fright. McGonagall placed a tattered old hat on a three-legged stool. The school watched it, avidly. Then, the rip near the brim of the hat opened up, and it broke into song:

"_In times of old when I was new  
And Hogwarts barely started  
The founders of our noble school  
Thought never to be parted:  
United by a common goal,  
They had the selfsame yearning,  
To make the world's best magic school  
And pass along their learning.  
'Together we will build and teach!'  
The four good friends decided  
And never did they dream that they  
Would someday be divided  
For were there such friends anywhere  
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?  
Unless it was the second pair  
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?  
So how could it have gone so wrong?  
How could such friendships fail?  
Why, I was there and so can tell  
The whole sad, sorry tale  
Said Slytherin, 'We'll teach just those Whose ancestry is purest'  
Said Ravenclaw, 'We'll teach those whose Intelligence is surest'  
Said Gryffindor, 'We'll teach all those  
With brave deeds to their name'  
Said Hufflepuff, 'I'll teach the lot  
And treat them just the same'  
These differences caused little strife  
When first they came to light  
For each of the four founders had  
A House in which they might  
Take only those they wanted, so,  
For instance, Slytherin  
Took only pure-blood wizards  
Of great cunning, just like him  
And only those of sharpest mind  
Were taught by Ravenclaw  
While the bravest and the boldest  
Went to daring Gryffindor  
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest  
And taught them all she knew  
Thus the Houses and their founders  
Retained friendships firm and true  
So Hogwarts worked in harmony  
For several happy years  
But then discord crept among us  
Feeding on our faults and fears  
The Houses that, like pillars four  
Had once held up our school  
Now turned upon each other and  
Divided, sought to rule  
And for a while it seemed the school  
Must meet an early end  
What with dueling and with fighting  
And the clash of friend on friend  
And at last there came a morning  
When old Slytherin departed  
And though the fighting then died out  
He left us quite downhearted  
And never since the fouonders four  
Were whittled down to three  
Have the Houses been united  
As they once were meant to be  
And now the Sorting Hat is here  
And you all know the score:  
I sort you into Houses  
Because that is what I'm for  
But this year I'll go further  
Listen closely to my song:  
Though condemned I am to split you  
Still I worry that it's wrong  
Though I must fulfill my duty  
And must quarter every year  
Still I wonder whether sorting  
May not bring the end I fear  
Oh, know the perils, read the signs  
The warning history shows  
For our Hogwarts is in danger  
From external, deadly foes  
And we must unite inside her  
Or we'll crumble from within  
I have told you, I have warned you...  
Let the Sorting now begin_!"

Harry glanced at Ron as the Sorting began. The applause that usually followed the Hat's song was broken, for the first time, with mutters and whispers. McGonagall cleared her throat, and began to read names. As she did, the line of frightened First Years slowly thinned. Harry and the rest of the Gryffindors clapped for each new addition to their House. Finally, when "Zeller, Rose" was sorted into Hufflepuff, McGonagall took the Hat and stool away, and Dumbledore stood up.

"To our newcomers," He said, beaming and stretching his arms wide, "Welcome. To our old hands–welcome back! There is a time for speech-making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

He sat down again, and food appeared on the plates.

The feast was delicious, as always. Nearly-Headless Nick, the Gryffindor Ghost, had explained to a very curious Hermione that the Sorting Hat gave warnings to the school whenever it detected danger for Hogwarts. Ron had somehow managed to offend Nick, because the silvery spectre had floated over to the Creevey brothers.

When the Feast finished at last, Dumbledore stood up again. "Well, now that we are digesting another splendid feast, I must beg a few moments of your attention for the start-of-term notices. First Years ought to know that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to all students–A few of our older students would do well to remember that, as well..."

Ron, Hermione, and Harry exchanged glances.

"The village of Hogsmeade is also out of bounds to all First and Second years.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in the corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be found on a list fastened on Mr. Filch's door.

"We have two new staff members this year... first is Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care Of Magical Creatures classes in the absence of our usual teacher, Hagrid. The other is a teacher that students in... Third Year and above should remember from two years ago... Professor Remus Lupin has agreed to take the Defense Against The Dark Arts classes this year... and hopefully the next year, too."

There was a loud burst of applause, especially from the Gryffindor table. Remus smiled down at Harry.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued. "Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of October. You should check with your House Team's Captain for the exact date if you wish to try out."

"Now, I believe that's everything of importance... off to bed with you all!" He sat down again.

"Ron, we have to guide the First Years upstairs..."

"Right... Oy! Oy, you lot! Midgets!"

"Ron, you can't call them midgets!"

"Well, they are, look, they're titchy..."

Hermione sighed. "First years, this way!"

Harry muttered, "See you later," and slouched away, taking a different path the the Gryffindor common room. Once he got there, he went straight to his dorm without a word. Once inside, he spotted Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom. It appeared that Seamus and Dean had just stopped talking about him. "Hi," He said, not looking at them.

"Had a nice summer Harry?" Dean asked.

"Not bad... You?"

"It was okay... Better than Seamus's anyway, he was just telling me..."

"What happened?" Neville asked.

Seamus didn't answer immediately. "... Me mam didn't want me to come back."

"What?" Harry said, pausing in the act of pulling off his robes.

"She didn't want me to come back to Hogwarts this year."

"What? Why not?"

Seamus didn't answer until he'd finished putting on his pyjamas. "Well... I guess... 'cause of you."

Harry arched his eyebrows. "Whaddya mean?"

"Well... she... er... okay, it's not just you, it's Dumbledore, too..."

"She believes the Daily Prophet?!" Harry said, savagely. "She thinks I'm a liar and Dumbledore's an old fool?!"

"Yeah, somethin' like that..." Seamus avoided Harry's gaze and continued, "Look... what did happen that night... y'know... when... with Cedric Diggory and all...?"

"Why are you asking me?" Harry retorted, angrily. "Just read the Daily Prophet like your mother, why don't you? That'll tell you all you ned to know."

"Hey, don't you have a go at my mother!" Seamus snapped.

"I'll have a go at anyone who insults me!" Harry snapped back.

"What's going on here?"

Ron had appeared in the doorway.

"He's having a go at my mother!" Seamus yelled.

"What? Harry wouldn't do that, we met your Mum, she was nice..."

"That's before she started believing every bloody word the Daily Prophet writes about me!" Harry yelled.

"You know what?" Seamus said, casting Harry a venomous look, "I don't think I want to share a dorm with him. He's a madman."

"That's out of order, Seamus!" Ron said, severely.

"Out of order, am I? You believe all the rubbish he's come out with about You-Know-Who, do you? You reckon he's telling the truth?"

"I don't 'reckon' he's telling the truth, I know he's telling the truth!" Ron said, defensively.

"Then you're mad, too!"

"Well, unfortunately for you, I'm also a Prefect! So unless you want a detention, watch your mouth!"

Seamus made a noise of contempt and vaulted into his bed. He pulled the hangings closed with such force that they came off.

"Anyone else's parents have a problem with Harry?" Ron said, savagely.

"My parents are Muggles, mate," Dean said. "I'm not stupid enough to tell them about any deaths at Hogwarts."

"My gran says that it's the Daily Prophet that's going downhill, not Dumbledore. We believe Harry," Neville said. "Gran's always said You-Know-Who would come back... and if Dumbledore says he's back... he's back..." He fell back against his pillows. Seamus repaired his hangings and disappeared behind them.

Harry got into bed, sighing. They'll know we're right in the end... he thought, sleepily. He finally dozed off, not noticing the humanoid shadow and glimmering violet eyes which blocked out the moonlight.  


‹{~~‹›~^*^~‹›~~}›

  
The next morning, Harry awoke to find Seamus already gone. He scowled and dressed silently with Ron. They emerged from their dorm and found Hermione removing a banner that looked as though it had been written by Fred and George.

"Harry, is something wrong...?" Hermione said, gently. "You look... angry."

Harry remained silent.

"Seamus thinks Harry's lying about You-Know-Who," Ron said, succinctly.

Hermione sighed. "Yes, Lavender thinks so too..."

"Been having a nice little chat with her about whether or not I'm a lying, attention-seeking prat, have you?" Harry spat.

"No, I told her to keep her big fat mouth shut about you. And I'd appreciate it if you'd stop biting our heads off. We're on your side."

"... ... Sorry."

They arrived at the Great Hall and ate breakfast. McGonagall was passing around schedules. Ron groaned.

"Look at today... Care Of Magical Creatures, Divination, Potions, and History Of Magic... Grubbly-Plank, Trelawney, Snape, AND Binns..."

Harry groaned as well.  


‹{~~‹›~^*^~‹›~~}›

  
Care Of Magical Creatures was not as fun as anyone had hoped it would be. Grubbly-Plank was teaching them about Bowtruckles, little twig-like creatures that live in wand-trees. But Harry had spotted the blond girl from the night before. She was sipping from her silver flask and eyeing him, in interest.

Divination brought work on interpreting dreams. Harry was, as always, bored to death with Trelawney predicting his death. After lunch came double Potions, with Professor Snape. Snape lost no time in assigning them an extremely difficult potion first thing. What's more, Harry saw that girl again. There was an air of mystery around her. She never spoke to him, but continued to watch him with vague interest.

History of Magic was a very boring affair, as usual. Binns droned on and on about Giant Wars, and Harry wound up playing a game of Naughts-and-Crosses (A/N: Tic-Tac-Toe. _Beta A/N: I'm thinking that's the Brit version, or what?_ Author's response to Beta A/N: Yes, 'tis.) on his parchment with Ron for the whole class period, while Hermione shot them various disapproving looks.

By the end of the week, Harry was already exhausted. And in light of everything that had happed since June, he was feeling far lonelier than he ever had in his entire life.

**End Chapter.**


	3. Attack In The Night

  
  
**Disclaimer**: Didn't I already tell you I didn't own _Harry Potter_? Sheesh...

**Author's Note**: It's here! What is possibly the most crucial part of the story has arrived! Another BIG thanks to my best-est buddy and Beta Ael L. Bolt! By the way, I think y'all should know two things: 1) Luna Lovegood will NOT be appearing in this. She's too weird for my tastes, and 2) Harry's middle name is "Orion" in this universe, not "James". I thought "James" was a bit... unexciting. ^^;;; Anyway, on with the story~!  
**~*^::Dark Jedi Princess::^*~**

_"When the evening falls  
And the daylight is fading  
From within me calls  
Could it be, I am sleeping?  
For a moment I stray  
Then it holds me completely  
Close to home, I cannot say  
Close to home, feeling so far away..._

As I walk the room  
There before me a shadow  
From another world  
Where no other can follow  
Carry me to my own  
To where I can cross over...  
Close to home, I cannot say  
Close to home, feeling so far away..."  
~"Evening Falls..." by Enya

**_"Wa'ew Em Gereh: Gereh-Neb Netjer, Key Ni Bin"  
Chapter 3~ Attack In The Night_**

  
Harry didn't go to bed in Gryffindor Tower on Saturday night. Instead, he wandered up to the empty Astronomy Tower to mull over things and ponder the recent events. He sat at the edge, staring at the clear, starry night, a cold breeze ruffling his hair.

_It's funny_, Harry thought. _I'm back where I belong. Hogwarts has always felt like home to me... but... why doesn't it feel like home anymore? Why do I feel so... out of place?_

These questions haunted him as he stared up at the starry night sky, musing to himself, lost in his own thoughts.  


‹{~~‹›~^*^~‹›~~}›

  
Gerehkhered stood on a higher tower of Hogwarts castle, looking down on the handsome, raven-haired boy sitting on top of the Astronomy Tower. She'd been watching him ever since Janna Sentare, one of her fledglings, had seen him in Diagon Alley. The boy, Harry Potter, reminded Gerehkhered of her Sire. He looked almost exactly like him…

Gerehkhered smirked, her inch-long fangs glimmering in the moonlight, amethyst eyes shining with barely suppressed ambition. She leapt, landing with a soft THUD on the flagstone surface of the tower. She relished in the smell of the boy, and approached him silently…  


‹{~~‹›~^*^~‹›~~}›

  
Harry perked his head up. He'd thought he'd heard a noise sounding from behind him. But he saw nothing upon looking behind him. When he turned around, however, he saw Filch, and let out a small gasp. He attempted to pull the Invisibility Cloak over himself before Filch caught sight of him, but before he could, something grabbed him from behind, placing a clawed hand over his mouth, and snarling at Filch, who dashed away.

Harry heard a soft laugh in his ear. "Quiet, my young one," a feminine, Egyptian-accented voice said. "This won't hurt a bit…"

What the voice had said could hardly be any farther from the truth. Harry forced back a yell of surprise and pain as he felt two fangs pierce his neck. He struggled, but the vampire was far too strong. He felt his blood, his life force draining from him. She was going to kill him…

The sensation stopped. Barely alive, barely able to see properly, Harry felt the vampire force him around. He saw glimmering violet eyes, long brown hair, a smooth, feminine face… The woman smiled and lifted her wrist, cutting across a vein with one sharp claw. A blackish liquid flowed freely from the cut, and she forced Harry's mouth against the cut.

It was all Harry could do to take the blood she offered. He knew what would happen, what it would do to him, but he didn't want to die…

When she drew her wrist away from him and let go, he fell to the ground, and with the last of his consciousness, heard her say words in some strange language…

"_Mi netjer ne gereh  
A'nekh en neb-reh  
Meri en senef  
Khet ne gereh, ne khewew  
Seki, key a'nekh her  
Hepet gereh…_"

Then Harry felt his heart stop, and fell into oblivion.  


‹{~~‹›~^*^~‹›~~}›

  
Gerehkhered watched the fallen Harry Potter for a few moments. He was hers now… Perhaps now she could forget the betrayal that destroyed all she had lived for… She stepped onto the battlements, and then into the air, falling downwards and landing without a noise on the grounds.

She ran off into the night.  


‹{~~‹›~^*^~‹›~~}›

  
Argus Filch ran down into the dungeons and into Snape's chambers, waking the sleeping Potions Professor in the process.

"What is it, Argus?" Severus mumbled.

"A vampire has broken into the castle!" Filch said, panicking. Severus's eyes went wide: he was obviously fully awake now. He leapt up.

"Where?"

"The Astronomy Tower…! hurry…!"

The two ran back upstairs. Filch's eyes went wide as he saw a body lying on the ground.

It was the limp and lifeless form of Harry Orion Potter, with two bleeding pinpricks in his neck.

"Get Dumbledore," Severus said, staring down at the body.

**End Chapter.**

Translation for Khemetic:

"Like a god of the night  
Live for eternity  
Lust for blood  
Creature of night, of evil  
Die, but live on  
Embrace the night"

Before anyone asks how I know Ancient Egyptian, I'm the OBSESSED'UN when it comes to Ancient Egypt.


	4. Undead & Daylight Challenged

**Disclaimer:** Same as always… sigh 

**Author's Note:** Gah! Sorry it took so long. ;; Ael L. Bolt poked me (literally) into writing, so, here we go.  
** ::Dark Jedi Princess::**  
  


"_How can you see into my eyes  
Like open doors…?  
Leading you down into my core  
Where I've become so numb… _

Without a soul, oohhh  
My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold  
Until you find it there and lead it back home…"  
"Bring Me To Life", Evanescence 

**_Wa'ew Em Gereh: Gereh-Neb Netjer, Key Ni Bin  
Chapter 4: Undead & Daylight Challenged_**

  
  
_Death… _

My release. 

But how… how am I still conscious…? Is this the afterlife? No, it can't be… can it…? 

It's not… I can feel life… 

Wait… 

Feel life? How does one do that? 

I'm confusing myself… There are people around me… People… Six… six people… one… a werewolf… 

Wait… 

How did I do that? 

I smell blood… blood… so tempting… w—no… I can't… 

"Harry?" 

Is that who I am? Harry Potter? Or… a monster? 

"Harry…" 

That voice… Professor Dumbledore? 

Harry screamed in pain as he returned to consciousness. Pain erupted all over his body, tearing through his muscles and bones. He was surely being torn apart at the seams. 

"Remus, if you would…" Dumbledore's voice said. 

The scent of werewolf drew closer mingled amongst the tantalizing smell of human blood. Harry felt something against his lips… the rim of a glass bottle… He took whatever liquid was in the bottle gratefully. It was warm and sweet, and it dulled the pain. 

As Remus took the bottle away, Harry opened his eyes. He was in Dumbledore's office, which was strange, because he last remembered being on top of the Astronomy Tower. The light in the room was hurting his eyes. He squinted. Everything was blurry, he couldn't see. Instinctively, he reached up to check if his glasses were still on. 

They were. 

"Harry, are you alright?" Ron's voice said. 

"N-no…" He took off his glasses, and everything became sharp and focused. He squinted again. "C-can you dim the lights? The brightness is hurting my eyes…" 

Ron looked a little shocked. Dumbledore waved his wand, and the lights dimmed. 

"Is that better, Harry?" He asked, gently. 

"Yeah… _Dewa-tjen…_" 

"What?" Ron looked utterly confused. 

"Huh? Did I say something unusual, Ron?" 

"You… said something in a different language…" Ron said, nervously. 

"I did? I thought I said, 'thanks'…" 

"You did, Harry, but you said it in Khemetic," Dumbledore said. 

"Ancient Egyptian?" Harry and Hermione said in unison, before giving each other odd looks. 

Harry swallowed and continued. "How can I speak Ancient Egyptian?" 

"It's the common language of the vampiric race," Remus stated, matter-of-factly. "All vampires can speak it." 

"VAMPIRES?!" Harry yelled, sitting up, panic washing over him. 

"You don't remember a thing, do you, Harry?" Remus asked. Harry raised an eyebrow. "It's been four days since… since you died," Remus continued. "You've been lying in stasis as you undergo the Change." 

"The Change?" 

"From human to vampire. It is a slow process, taking four full nights to complete. Four nights ago, we found you on the Astronomy Tower, with a bite mark on your neck and vampire's blood on your mouth. We knew then what you'd become." 

"Oh gods," Harry shuddered, falling back against the pillow beneath his head. "Can't… can't you do something?" 

"Vampirism is irreversible, Harry," Dumbledore said, sadly. "And I would not recommend trying to end your life. Final Death is not meant for you just yet." 

Harry stood up. "Great. Gotta get used to this." 

"Unfortunately, yes," Dumbledore agreed, with a bemused tone in his voice. "Now, to bed. Miss Chang, you may accompany Harry, Ron, and Hermione until you reach your Common Room." 

Harry then noticed Cho standing near the door, looking at Harry with a mixture of worry and relief. She nodded at Dumbledore as Harry moved towards the door. 

"Wait, Potter," McGonagall said. She had been standing behind the conjured couch Harry had been lying on the whole time. "Two more things… the first being that if you feed off of any students or faculty during the remainder of your education here, we will, regrettably, have to expel you. Also, being that vampires are nocturnal creatures, you WILL be allowed to roam the halls at night should you not be able to sleep. I have informed the other professors and Mr. Filch of this, so you shouldn't get into trouble." 

"Thank you Professor," Harry said, as politely as he could under all his stress. McGonagall nodded curtly at Harry. He, Ron, Hermione, and Cho left Dumbledore's office and made their way towards the Gryffindor Common Room. 

"Harry… Are you sure you don't remember anything…?" Hermione asked. 

"I'm sure…" Harry said, not looking at her. He felt odd. It was strange not feeling his heartbeat… "…I remember being at the Astronomy Tower," he continued, swallowing. "…and nearly getting caught by Filch… but after that… nothing." 

"Why were you up there in the first place?" Hermione asked, suspiciously. 

"I needed to think. Be by myself," Harry muttered. "There's so much happening… can you blame me?" 

"No… But…" She sighed. "First You-Know-Who comes back… and then a vampire attacks and Changes you." 

"Yeah," Harry replied. "My life is Hell now. It's official." 

Ron laughed nervously. 

"But I've still got you guys right?" Harry asked, somewhat half-heartedly. 

"Of course, Harry!" Ron said, grinning. 

"We'll let nothing get between us. Promise," Hermione added. 

"And we'll help in any way we can, " Cho said, somewhat timidly. 

"Thank you…" Harry said, a true smile on his face for the first time that night. 

All three abruptly swamped Harry, enveloping him in a fierce group hug. Harry laughed a little as he attempted to return all of the hugs. When they broke apart, Hermione laughed a little as well. 

"Sorry about that Harry…" She said. 

"Nah, I needed that," Harry said. "We should probably be going now." 

They set off again. Cho bade them goodnight at the corridor leading to the Ravenclaw Common Room, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione continued onto the Gryffindor Common Room. 

"You coming to bed, Harry…?" Ron asked, tentatively, as they entered the Common Room. 

"Yeah… I'll be up in a bit…" Harry muttered. Ron nodded and disappeared up the Boy's staircase. 

"Goodnight, Harry," Hermione said. 

"_Gereh-nefer…_" Harry muttered. Hermione looked at him oddly before going up the girls' staircase. Harry lingered for a few minutes, watching the dying embers of the fire, before heading upstairs to his dorms. 

Ron was already asleep when Harry got to his dorm. He climbed into bed, still fully clothed, but found that he couldn't sleep. He laid awake all night, and found that, only when dawn came was he tired. As the sun rose, Harry closed the curtains and dozed off to sleep. 

It seemed only seconds later when Ron yanked the curtains open. A beam of sunlight from the open window fell on Harry's skin to smoulder. Harry jerked awake and dove under the covers with a surprised yelp. 

"What?" Ron asked innocently when Harry poked his head out from beneath the covers. 

"Are you daft, Ron?" Harry demanded. "Vampires and sunlight don't mix!" 

"But… isn't it only direct sunlight?" 

Harry blinked. "Good point." 

"Will you get up if I close the curtains of the window?" 

"I'm still tired, Ron. I didn't sleep all night." 

"Oh. So you're not coming to classes?" 

"Not for the moment, no… I'll get some sleep, and when I wake up, I'm going to try and figure out exactly what's happened to my body." 

"Oh… okay… see you tonight, then…" Ron looked and sounded disappointed. He left the dorm, making sure to close the window and its curtains as he left. Harry sighed and closed the curtains of his bed again, just to make sure, and flopped against the pillows. 

"I guess he thought I was as good as human…" He muttered, closing his eyes. "But I'm not… and I never will be again…"  


‹{‹›‹›}›

Harry woke again the following evening at the sundown. The rest of the school was still at dinner, so Harry went to the Astronomy Tower, his body wrought with hunger. The dying sunlight didn't hurt him as he stepped out onto the landing. He watched the sun disappear below the horizon, sitting down at the edge of the battlements. 

"This'll probably be the last sunset I'll ever see…" Harry muttered. Anger took over him, and he dug his hands into the stone. "Whoever did this to me must die," he growled. "I'll kill them with my own hands!" 

The anger left him quickly. Breathing hard, he calmed down and moved his hand into his lap. There were thin, deep gouges in the stone beside him, where his hand had gripped the stone. "Did I do that…?" He stared at his hands. His fingernails had grown out a little, maybe half and inch or so. They were pointed, not rounded like human fingernails. "Claws…" He hesitated, and drew his thumb along his arm, gasping a little in pain as he did so. It created a long gash which seeped a thick black liquid. He watched as the wound healed a few minutes later, sealing itself completely and leaving nothing but the partially dried black liquid, which Harry assumed was his blood. 

"Regeneration…" He muttered. "Well… I told Ron I'd try to find out what happened to my body… So that's what I'll do now." He swung around and slid off the battlements, drawing in a breath. The air was unneeded, but the scents filled him. The wonderful, tempting scent of human blood… the lupine scent of Remus… and, to Harry's surprise, the sour smell of a corpse mixed with stale blood. _There's another vampire at the school…_ He thought. _Are they my Sire?_

Before he could contemplate the matter further, footsteps sounded on the stairs. Harry panicked. He hadn't brought his invisibility cloak. Forgetting that he was allowed to be out at night, he backed against the battlements, and as he saw a lantern emerging on the landing, he lost his balance and fell over the battlements. He fell a few feet and caught the ledge below the rim of the tower. 

Filch emerged onto the landing, followed by Mrs. Norris, his cat. Harry followed the sound of his footsteps, making sure that his hand didn't slip. It was a very long drop to the castle grounds, a hundred feet at least. 

Filch walked over to the battlements (thankfully not directly over the spot where Harry was hanging, his claws dug into the stone) and peered over them. He sneered and disappeared again. Harry sighed in relief, but the moment he lifted his other hand to climb back up, the one clinging to the ridge slipped, and Harry fell. 

Harry struggled to right himself in mid-air before he hit the ground. If he hit his back from that height… he didn't know what would happen. He shut his eyes tightly as the ground rushed up beneath him, bracing himself for the impact. He landed on his feet, in a crouched position as to absorb the shock. Harry opened his eyes and stood up shakily. He was unharmed but for a little tension on his bones from the landing. As he turned around, someone grabbed him from behind. The putrid scent of corrupted blood filled his nostrils and Harry's now-violet eyes met with the cold grey orbs of Draco Malfoy. 

"Don't you ever stay dead, Potter? I see you drop off the Astronomy Tower and come out of THAT unscathed too…" 

"I'd say the same to you," Harry retaliated with a hiss, "But you've never died… sadly." 

Malfoy sneered. Harry forced him around and threw him into the wall of the Astronomy Tower. 

"Don't ever come at me from behind again," He growled. "Or I'll do worse. If you have to talk to or hit me, at least have the courage to do it to my face. Now get out of my sight before I tear you to pieces." 

Malfoy scowled at Harry and dashed away. Harry briefly considered running after him just to see how he'd react (and just how fast Harry could move), but decided against it. He took a deep breath. 

"That felt good…" 

"Did it, Harry?" 

Harry turned around. Remus stood behind him, a pleasant expression on his face. "Yeah, it did," Harry said, shrugging. "I've never liked Malfoy." 

"I hardly find it pleasant when I hurt someone." 

"He's a different case, Professor. Malfoy's been on our case since First Year, for no other reason than he thinks that he's superior to us." 

"Frustrating… What are you doing out here?" 

"Uhhhh… I was on the Astronomy Tower… and… I fell over the edge." 

Remus raised an eyebrow. 

"Filch was advancing on me." 

"Oh. Well, I assume you couldn't find a handhold—or slipped after you did find one—because I saw you fall." 

"I found one and slipped when I tried to climb back up." 

Remus nodded. "Well… I take it… you're not used to having such… abilities as a vampire does…" 

"No. I'm not. I'd like to try and get used to them… find out what happened to me… what I can do…" 

"I can help you," Remus stated. "I may not be a vampire myself, but I've known a couple—including yourself—and I do know quite a lot about them." 

"That… I'd appreciate that, Professor." 

"Very well then. How about we meet tomorrow evening on the Astronomy Tower. And mind you don't slip this time," Remus said with a wink. Harry laughed. "…Will you be awake by sundown?" 

"Probably. That's when I woke up today." 

"Good. I'll see you around sundown at the Astronomy Tower tomorrow… oh, we will have to get you readjusted to a human sleep schedule… and you'll need to find some way of avoiding direct sunlight to continue attending classes here." 

"…I'll see what I can do," Harry said. "Indoors shouldn't be too much of a problem as long as I avoid places with open windows, right?" 

"Right…" 

"But outdoor classes ARE a problem." 

"Indeed. Uh, Harry… I'd consider talking to Professor Snape and—" 

"No," Harry said before Remus finished. He didn't like the idea of asking Snape to do him a favour. 

"—ask him—Oh, fine, be stubborn…" 

Harry shook his head. "I'll see you tomorrow Professor."  


‹{‹›‹›}›

Harry spent the remainder of the evening in the library with Ron and Hermione, trying to find books on vampires. Remus had given them permission to look in the Restricted Section for books as well. However, most of what they were finding wasn't doing much good, as a lot of the books were rather… biased. Ron and Hermione sat at a table while Harry lurked amongst the shelves of the Restricted Section, looking at book titles. 

Hermione groaned and let her head hit the table. "How are we doing to find anything factual if all of these books are biased?" 

"Beats me…" Ron muttered, only half awake. 

Harry spotted a book title that had a variation of the word "vampire" in it: _Vampyr_. He picked it up, sat down, and flicked through it. 

"Harry?" Hermione called tiredly. 

"I think I found something," Harry said, semi-quietly, standing up with the book in hand and emerging from the Restricted Section. "This one isn't biased. I flipped through it… I guess it was written by someone who wasn't very concerned with preserving their image." He handed the book to Hermione, who lifted her head and looked through it. There was a few moments' silence. A smile dawned on Hermione's face and she hugged Harry. 

"Thanks, this is perfect!" 

Harry sat down. "So. Enlighten me." 

"…But where should I start?" Hermione wondered out loud. 

"Start with the physical stuff," Harry said. "I want to know what this Change did to my body while I was out." 

Hermione took a deep breath. "Alright… well…" She looked as though she was wondering which attribute to start with. "Full-blooded vampires, when not masquerading as humans, may usually be recognised by their double-pointed ears and strikingly violet eyes. They have extremely sharp claws in place of fingernails, which can cut into stone." 

_Don't I know it,_ Harry thought sarcastically, thinking back to earlier that evening. 

"Vampires have no reflection and no shadow…" Here Harry glanced down to the floor to check if she was telling the truth. When he saw no shadow, he raised both eyebrows then turned back to her. She hadn't noticed his brief lack of attention. "…Changed vampires usually have pale skin unless they were born with dark skin, as in the Middle East, Egypt, or other parts of Africa… Born vampires are born with pale skin regardless of their parents' skin colour…" 

"Vampires can have kids?!" Ron said, looking extremely surprised. 

"Yes, I'll get to that later…" Hermione cleared her throat. "Their fangs are sharp enough to pierce human flesh but not much else. … Half-breed vampires have less prominent fangs and double pointed ears, no claws, and their eye colour varies although most have been known to have black eyes." 

"Half-breeds?" Ron asked. 

"People who are half-human and half-vampire," Hermione explained. "Anyway, Harry's full-blood so we don't really need to know about the half-breeds." She scanned the page. "I think I've covered everything regarding appearances and the like, so I'll move on to strengths and weaknesses… Well, generally vampires are much stronger than humans are and slightly stronger than werewolves, who also have supernaturally enhanced strength. Vampires move much quicker than humans do as well… in fact, to the human eye, when a vampire is moving at top speed they either appear as a blur or they appear to simply vanish and then reappear in a different place than they started out." 

"Really?" 

"It's probably nothing more than an optical illusion," Harry muttered. 

"…The vampire's reflexes are extremely fast as well, almost bordering on precognition—that's seeing things before they happen, Ron—And their strength is such that they can jump heights of up to fifty feet with little or no effort. Their eyes are extremely sensitive to light, allowing them to see easily in dark environments. Their other senses are extremely sensitive as well, with their sense of smell allowing them to distinguish between species." 

"Cool," Ron said, slightly awed. Harry rolled his eyes. 

"…Their sense of taste allows them to distinguish the emotions of their victims by tasting their blood, while their sense of hearing allows them to 'feel' the heartbeats of living beings around them. They can also hear close-to-mid range, whispered conversation as though it were a normal talking level and can hear footfalls from several metres away." 

"Remind me not to whisper anything I don't want Harry to hear anywhere near him, then," Ron muttered. 

"Mythologically, vampires can be killed by fire, a stake through the heart, or sunlight. All are suitable methods, except a vampire must be in direct sunlight for at least two minutes. …Crosses may or may not work against them, depending on their religious beliefs in life… Those who were religious will fear the cross and those who weren't will not. Holy Water will burn their skin and garlic, when ingested, will cause them to fall extremely ill and it will burn their skin on contact." 

"Is that all?" 

"In that area, yes." 

Harry nodded. "Next?" 

"Well, what do you want to know?" 

"…I don't know…" 

Hermione sighed. "Alright, let's try this then…" She turned the page. "Vampires posses the ability to understand all written and spoken languages that were or are in existence. They are also mildly telepathic, and are able to communicate mentally with others of their kind." 

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Interesting…" 

"Vampires have two common spoken languages: English and Khemetic, the Ancient Egyptian language. All vampires also speak their own native tongue." 

"What's that mean?" Ron asked. 

"The first language they ever learned to speak," Hermione explained. 

"Oh." 

Hermione's eyes scanned the page again. "I don't think there's anything else in that area…" 

Harry nodded. "Anything else I should know?" 

"…Well… there's one more thing… you should probably know that… uhm…" 

"What?" Harry said, raising an eyebrow. 

"… Well… It's only that… well, your sex life will be rather… limited." 

"What's that supposed to mean?!" 

"…Well, romantically, vampires can date as many people as they like… as long as they don't sleep with them. They can only have one sexual partner as long as either is alive… there's something called a 'Mate's Bond' that exists between sexual partners in the vampiric race. This bond remains until one partner dies. Then it's cut off." 

"Okay…" 

"And, oh, a couple more things… Since you've got a weakness against sunlight you'll have a nocturnal sleep schedule… awake at night and asleep during the day, you know… You can readjust back to a human sleep schedule, which I highly recommend in your case… also your body will crave human blood…" 

"Perfect, how am I supposed to deal with that? I can't feed off of anyone here." 

"You can't get rid of it, but you can suppress it by drinking always animal blood and never drinking human blood." 

"Fair enough…" 

"Although… one more thing… If you drink human blood after getting used to animal blood, that craving will come back, and you'll have a much harder time suppressing it again." 

"Thanks for the warning…" 

"…Madame Pince is about to close up," Hermione observed, glancing around. "I'll go check this out. Meet me in the Common Room."  


‹{‹›‹›}›

"Ready to begin, Harry?" Remus asked. 

"Uh… what are we doing, exactly?" Harry asked in response. It was the following evening. He and Remus were atop the Astronomy Tower, where they had agreed to meet the previous evening. 

"Well… to help you with your physical abilities, I was going to suggest that we spar for a bit," Remus said, politely. 

"But… I might hurt you…" Harry said, raising an eyebrow. 

"Don't worry about it, Harry, I'll be fine. Werewolves aren't quite as strong as vampires, but even in human form we're still stronger than normal humans." 

"Oh… okay…" 

"A vampire knows, instinctively, how to defend himself, and he'll use any means available. You should know how to use any weapon I give you… In this case…" He tossed Harry a quarterstaff. "I think we'll use quarterstaffs." 

Harry caught the wooden staff, twirled it around a couple of times, then held a defensive position. 

"Ready? Alright, let's begin…" 

Remus took the offensive, attacking every chance he got. At first, Harry only defended. But as they continued to fight, he grew more confident, more sure of himself. 

Ron and Hermione joined them as soon as dinner was finished, watching the fight and cheering on both, offering their encouragement. Harry's defensive fighting steadily became more offensive. Finally, the two stopped sparring. Remus caught his breath, panting a little. "Excellent! Well done, Harry!" 

"That was brilliant!" Ron exclaimed. "Of course, I couldn't see you half the time…" 

Harry laughed. "Is that all for tonight?" 

"I think so, yes… We've been at this for about two hours and I don't know about you, but I'm a little tired." 

"I'm not…" 

Remus shrugged. "We'll do something different tomorrow night. But what we're doing is a secret until tomorrow."  


‹{‹›‹›}›

The following evening, Ron and Hermione skipped dinner and followed Harry to the Astronomy Tower to watch his next session with Lupin. 

"So what am I in for?" Harry asked without preamble. 

Remus laughed. "Nothing too serious on stressful. We're going to work on your camouflaging abilities." 

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Camouflaging?" 

"Didn't you find out about that when you did your research?" 

"Hermione didn't mention it." 

"We ran out of time," Hermione said with a slight blush on her face. 

"Did you check out the books you found?" 

"Book, and yes." 

"Good. I might as well explain this. Vampires have a natural ability to disguise their unusual features—their fangs, claws, and ears. They don't go away, they are merely hidden by an illusion." 

Harry raised an eyebrow. "There's a catch, isn't there?" 

"Well, yes. The only problem is, this illusion can come undone in a state of extreme emotional distress… anger, hatred… sadness… in some cases, I've seen in come undone when the vampire is very close to someone they're attracted to." 

Harry gave Remus an odd look. "How often does that happen?" 

"Not very often. The last is a rare case." 

"Okay then… so what do I do?" 

"Close your eyes… envision yourself as human…" 

Harry did so. Anxiety filled him as he tried to envision in his mind himself as a human. He couldn't do it. _How can I, when I'll never be human again…?_

"Harry?" 

Harry opened his eyes again. Remus had a concerned look on his face. 

"It wasn't working, was it, Professor?" 

"No. Could you not see it?" 

"Hard to see myself as human when I'm not." 

"I know exactly how you feel, Harry. But… isn't it also hard to remember when you were happy when there were so many times in life that you were depressed?" 

Harry looked up at Remus. "You're talking about the Patronus Charm." 

"I am. You have had a very unhappy life, I know that. And yet, you Harry, are the only fifteen-year-old wizard who can conjure a corporeal Patronus." 

"This is true," Harry muttered. 

"This isn't much different that when you were learning the Patronus Charm," Remus said. "Try your hardest to see yourself as human." 

Harry nodded and closed his eyes again. He pictured, in his mind's eye, himself as human and concentrated fully on that image. 

Abruptly, Hermione squealed. Harry opened his eyes, a little annoyed. 

"What?" 

"Oh… well… for a moment, I thought it worked… but your eyes are still violet." 

"The illusion doesn't cover the eyes, Hermione," Remus said. 

"Oh…" 

Remus smiled at Harry. "See? Not as hard as it seems." 

"No, it's not," Harry said, returning the smile.  


‹{‹›‹›}›

"So… the boy has awakened… I think it's time to pay him a visit…"  


‹{‹›‹›}›  
**End Chapter.**


	5. Janna & Gerehkhered

"_We chase misprinted lies  
We face the path of time  
And yet I fight  
And yet I fight  
This battle all alone  
No-one to cry to  
No place to go home..."  
_"Nutshell" by Adema

**_Wa'ew Em Gereh : Gereh-Neb Netjer, Key Ni Bin  
Chapter 5: Janna & Gerehkhered_ **

The Owlrey was almost completely silent when Harry arrived there the following morning. He was alone but for the owls who hadn't left to go hunting, since Ron and Hermione had already gone to sleep.

Harry removed his cloak and set it down on a clean part of the floor. Sitting down on top of it, he pulled our parchment, quill, and ink and prepared to write a letter to Sirius.

The only problem was, he didn't know where to begin. So much had happened to him in the past few days. He didn't know if Dumbledore had already informed Sirius of what had happened. And if he hadn't, how to tell him? This wasn't something you could just say casually.

Harry glanced out the windor. The first quarter moon had just emerged above the horizon. After staring out at it for a few moments, he lowered his eyes back to the parchment and tried to think about what to write. After a moment he decicded to share with Sirius whatever was on his mind.

And so he put quill to parchment and wrote. At some point his hand seemed to move on its own, and he lost touch with what was going on around him. He was brought back to reality when he caught the scent of something entering the room.

Harry's eyes darted around the Owlrey. He couldn't see anyone else in the room, but his sense of smell was telling him that there was another vampire with him.

Harry sighed. "You can't hide, you know, I can smell you."

"Oh, I know that," A young woman's voice said. A girl who looked to be a year younger than he was materialized in front of him. She had short blond hair and violet eyes. Judging by the crest on the front of her robes, she was a Slytherin. "Hello Harry..."

"Do I know you?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"Not really. We've come in contact before, but we've never spoken."

"Well, what do you want?" Harry snapped. "Only, I'm kinda busy."

"Jeez, why so harsh?"

"I don't trust Slytherins," Harry said, glaring at her.

"Hey, easy! I don't associate myself with Malfoy's gang. I think they're a bunch of bigots." The girl sighed. "My name is Janna Sentare. I'm in your year, and we have Care Of Magical Creatures and Potions together. That's when we've come in contact before, but obviously we've never spoken."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "If you're a vampire, then how do you attend classes?" He asked.

"It's not impossible, you know, we just need a bit of help," Janna said. She pulled a pair of flasks from her robes and showed them to Harry. "Snape makes me two potions, so I can pass as human."

"...Still not convinced you're on my side."

"Would it help to tell you that I'm your sister?"

Harry's eyebrows shot straight into his fringe. "Nice try, I'm an only child."

"No, silly, not your mortal sister!" Janna scoffed. "I'm your vampiric sister. We share the same Sire."

"...Oh."

"You sound disappointed."

"I'm not, trust me." He began writing again. "Is there anything in particular that you came here for?"

"Yes, actually." She handed him the flasks she had pulled out earlier. "I was asked to give these to you."

Harry cocked an eyebrow. "But they're yours."

"No, they're spares. One will let you walk in direct sunlight for three hours tops; the other, when taken half an hour before a meal, will let you eat normal food. You'll need to replenish both of these potions eventually."

Harry gave Janna a curt nod to show that he understood and returned to writing the letter once more.

"I'm guessing that now isn't the best time to have a discussion about our Sire, is it?" Janna asked quietly.

"No, it's not."

"Well, there aer some things I need to tell you about her... 'warn' would be a better word, I suppose... Would you mind it if we met again to talk about this?"

"...Fine," Harry said, resigned.

"Tomorrow eveningnight, sorry1 o'clock? McGonagall's classroom? That work?"

"Sure."

"Well, then, I'll leave you alone until then..." She stood up and headed towards the door.

"This doesn't mean that I trust you," Harry called after her.

"Oh, I know," Janna returned, throwing the ghostly while something she had been carry over herself and disappearing entirely.

Harry sighed and finished his letter, addressed it, and called Hedwig to take the letter to Sirius. Afterwards he returned to Gryffindor tower.

As soon as he entered, another odd scent caught his attention. A soft chuckle sounded from an armchair with its back to Harry.

"_Gereh-nefer, khered-rehew-i..._" A soft, feminine, rich voice said.

The voice tugged at Harry's memory. He knew he had heard it before, but as to where, he had no clue. He still could not remember the night he was Changed. Could that possibly be...?

The chair's occupant stood and moved around it so that Harry could see her.

She, too, was a vampire. Amethyst eyes gleamed hungrily from behind several long bangs. Her brown hair fell past her hips, and she wore a long, elegant black dress.

"Who are you?" Harry demanded, quietly, though he was almost certain that he knew the answer already.

The woman chuckled again. "Tsk, tsk, you don't remember...?"

"If you're referring to the night I died, then no, I don't."

"Pity..." She said. "I am Gerehkhered, your Sire."

Harry narrowed his eyes and drew out his wand. "_Incendio_," he said, calmly. A spurt of flams shot at Gerehkhered from his wand.

Gerehkhered merely laughed, lifted her hand, and returned, "_Ab-sedjet_." The flames vanished. "That was uncalled for," She said, quietly but dangerously. "You should show more respect."

"Why?" Harry hissed. "Why should I respect you?"

"Because I am your Sire."

"You took my life against my will!" Harry shoulded. "I never wanted to be a vampire!"

Gerehkhered remained silent.

"Why would I respect you for that? It's under-handed and dirty, something I'd expect from Malfoy. I will do nothing for you. I never want to see you again."

"_Iew-i mewet-ek..._" Gerehkhered said, dangerously. "_Tjen a-ka meri wi..._"

Harry practically roared in anger and lunged at her. She dodged him easily. "You are not my mother!" He shouted. "My mother is, and always will be, Lily Evans Potter!"

"By clinging to your mortal family in such a way, you only make yourself more vulnerable..."

Harry seized a thin log from the fire and brandished it at her. "GET OUT!"

Gerehkhered narrowed her eyes. "Fine. But you haven't seen the last of me. I vow, I will break you... My rebellious Childe..." She disappeared with a single Khemetic word spoken to the air.

Harry shuddered, replaced the log, and sank into a chair. "And I vow... one day..._ Ib-i keded tjen..._"

‹‹›‹››

Harry did not sleep for the rest of the night. Rather than disturb his roommates, he spent the remainder of his time that night in the Common Room, contemplating his situation and sometimes even attempted to devise a plan to kill his Sire.

The Sun was rising and Harry was just thinking about going to sleep when he remembered that he still had the flasks that Janna had given to him. He removed them from his bag and examined them closely.

It seem Janna had chosen each of them deliberately. Even at first glance he could tell them apart instantly. The first was a light grey colour, with a yellow topaz set into the cap. Inscribed into the metal was a beautiful demotic script. Harry ran his fingers over the inscription before examining it more closely. The symbols appeared to be Egyptian. Reading them from left-to-right didn't seem to make much sense. The intended words were backwards. So he read in the opposite direction instead.

The inscription revealed that the potion inside was the one that would let him walk in direct sunlight unharmed for three hours. Harry arched an eyebrow before turning to the other flask, which was a darker grey than the first, and had a ruby set into the cap. It had a similar inscription as the first, except this one said that, when taken half an hour before a meal, the poition contained inside the flask would allow him to eat normal food for a limited amount of time. Harry recalled, from Hermione's "lecture" on vampires, that under normal circumstances, he would regurgitate normal food upon ingesting it.

:_You're cutting things rather closely, aren't you?_: A voice said in his head. Harry jumped and fell out of his chair.

The voice was Janna's. Rubbing his forehead, Harry got to his feet. :_What're you doing in my head!_: He demanded angrily.

:_Making sure you either take the _herew_ potion or get to a safe place before you combust_: she responded, mock-sternly.

:_I'm fine_: Harry insisted, bitterly, side-stepping a beam of sunligh as the sun rose further into the sky.

:_...Gerehkhered visited, didn't she?_: Janna said sombrely.

:_...How did you know?_: Harry asked, forgetting his anger for a moment.

:_I knew she would visit you eventually... She's been going on about you all summer._:

:_...What!_:

:_I'll tell you more tonight, and I swear it'll be the whole truth._ She paused. _What do you make of her?_:

:Iew-es iew-hemet: Harry said, angrily.

Janna laughed bitterly. :_I agree._:

This wasn't the reaction Harry had expected. He raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

:_Yeah, I know, you probably don't believe me,_: Janna said, mentally sighing. :_Are you going to take that potion?_:

:_...I guess._:

:_Good. My business here is done. See you in class._:

She said no more. Harry sighed and tentatively opened the light-coloured flask. He hesitated, then sipped at the liquid, grimacing at the taste. A few seconds later, he cautiously moved his hand into the path of a beam of sunlight. When his hand didn't start to smoke, a smile dawned on his face and he stood up, stepping into direct sunlight for the first time since he was Changed.


End file.
